Resources › The justice system › Appealing municipal decisions
Appealing decisions from the municipality and other public bodies: how to do it
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
Refused housing, respite care, a support contact or something else from the municipality? Most decisions can be appealed within three weeks. Who to send it to, what to write, and the right to reasons and access to documents.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 16 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.
A decision (vedtak) is a ruling that concerns your rights or duties, for example whether you get a service from the municipality. The rules for appealing are in the Public Administration Act (forvaltningsloven), and they apply to most public bodies. Some areas have their own rules, and then the decision will say so.
The deadline is three weeks
According to the Public Administration Act § 29, the deadline for appeals is three weeks from when you received the decision. If the decision states a different deadline, follow that. If you have missed the deadline, the appeal can still be considered if there are good reasons, but not if more than one year has passed (§ 31).
Send the appeal to the body that made the decision
The appeal is sent to the body that made the decision (§ 32). They must first look at the case again, and can change the decision themselves (§ 33). If they do not, the appeal is sent on to the appeal body.
For many municipal decisions, the appeal body is the municipal council or a special appeals board. In some areas, for example health and care services, it is the County Governor (Statsforvalteren). The decision must state who the appeal body is.
What do you write?
- Which decision you are appealing (date and case number).
- What you think is wrong, and why.
- What you want the decision to be changed to.
- Enclose documentation that supports your case, for example a medical certificate.
- Sign it, and keep a copy.
Your rights along the way
- Reasons: The decision must give reasons and refer to the rules it is based on (§§ 24 and 25). If the reasons are missing, you can ask for them.
- Access: You have the right to see the documents in your case (§ 18). Ask for access before you write the appeal, so you can see what the decision is based on.
- Help: The public administration has a duty to guide you.
If you still disagree
If the appeal body does not rule in your favour, you can complain to the Parliamentary Ombud within one year. You may also be entitled to free legal aid.
Tip: If the decision is from NAV, see appealing a NAV decision. If it concerns health care, see complaining about health services. If it concerns school and special education, see special education.
Sources
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.